


Turn (Face the Pain)

by S J Smith (Evil_Little_Dog)



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Canon Het Relationship, F/M, One-Sided Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-11
Updated: 2012-05-11
Packaged: 2017-11-05 04:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/402599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/S%20J%20Smith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary:  Buffy and Angel and a night with their thoughts, before the episode, "The Prom" <br/>Disclaimer:  Joss owns all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turn (Face the Pain)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Back To High School Ficathon, for the prompt:   
> Main Char Request: B/A or Buffy and Willow friendship  
> Genre: Angst/some humor would be great  
> Requests: Angel’s leather duster/something about Buffy’s hair/the cross necklace that Buffy wears.

* * *  
 _Buffy_  
* * *  
It’s late.

It’s late and I need to try to get some sleep so I can at least pretend to be alert tomorrow for classes.

It just seems so useless, though.

It’s not like I’m going anywhere. It’s not like my friends are going anywhere. Well, at least Willow isn’t. She’s gonna stay here with me and wherever she stays, Oz will. And Giles, he’s not gonna leave me alone with Wesley, thank god. And Angel’s not going anywhere, he’s gonna stay right here. Xander’s the only one who’ll be going away, well, him and Faith, one way or another. But I’m so not thinking about Faith right now.

All right, I’m a liar.

I am thinking about Faith.

She nearly killed Xander. I wish I didn’t have to believe that she’d do that but I’ve seen the marks on Xander’s neck. If Angel hadn’t come along when he had, if he’d been just a little later, well I don’t really want to think about what might have happened.

But that isn’t all of it. Faith tried to destroy Angel, too. She wanted to make him lose his soul. My Angel. She was that jealous of me that she’d do that. And I didn’t even realize.

I can’t believe that I hadn’t noticed before.

I mean, I thought we’d taken care of her. All right, there are things we could’ve done better, I’ll admit that. I mean, maybe Mom and I should’ve invited her to stay here, not that I’d really would’ve liked her underfoot all the time. But maybe if she had, if we’d at least offered, things would’ve turned out different.

What is it they say about sight being twenty-twenty behind you?

I find myself walking around my room. It’s night, it’s late and I’m pacing. I don’t wanna wake up Mom. She’s got enough on her mind. I wish I didn’t have to disappoint her, that I could leave Sunnydale behind but there’s no way that I can do that.

Not with our own Resident Evil Mayor and his little buddy, Faith, running around loose.

I stop, staring out the window at the night.

I can’t stand being here.

There’s someplace I gotta be instead.

* * *  
 _Angel_  
* * *  
She surprises me sometimes, sneaking into the mansion when I’m sleeping. Or even when I’m awake. Now that the doors are broken, it’s even easier for her to get inside. Or anyone, for that matter but I don’t think Faith will come for a visit any time soon.

“Hey,” she says, looking lost in that leather jacket I gave her so long ago.

“Hey.” I stand up, setting aside the book I’d been reading. “You okay?”

Buffy shrugs, not quite meeting my eyes. “I just,” she fidgets with the claddagh I gave her. I almost smile to see her wearing it. “Ijustdidn’twanttobealone.”

She comes to me, not quite in a rush, leaning against me, her hands on my waist, mine on her shoulders. I can feel the weariness in her. “Hey,” I say into her hair. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

She sighs, a heavy, gusty thing and nuzzles against me. “Too many thoughts,” she said finally. “They make my head buzzy and I can’t sleep.”

We stand quietly together, both of us moving slowly closer, until we’re entwined. Her heart thumps and I can hear the rush of her blood. Her breath slows as she relaxes and I’m glad I can give her this, a little shelter. A little peace.

Pulling back finally, Buffy stares up at me, a faint smile touching her lips. “So,” she said, “I need something to wear me out before I sleep.”

“I,” I start and she flushes up, stepping a little farther away from me.

“That’s not what I...well.” She coughs. “I was thinking, maybe we can get in a little slayage before I have to go home?”

Nodding, I say, “Let me get my jacket and some stakes and we’ll go.” I can feel her smile resting between my shoulder blades as I fetch my coat. “Ready?”

She gives me a cocky grin. “I was born ready.”

* * *  
 _Buffy_  
* * *  
It’s early morning and we’re walking back from the cemeteries. I almost thought we’d run into Faith but we didn’t. A few vamps out doing the bidding of the Mayor, yeah but no Faith. I’m not sure whether I’m happy about that or not. Maybe if we’d found her, we could’ve talked to her but somehow, I’m thinking the time for talking is over. I mean, if we can get through to her, if I can really do that, it’d be great. But I’m just not expecting joy from this, you know?

She tried to kill too many of my friends. And no one messes with my boyfriend. When were people gonna learn that?

“Buffy?”

I look up at Angel and realize we’re back at the mansion. “Home again, home again,” I tell him. “Guess I’d better do that myself, the home thing.”

“It’s still,” Angel pauses. He looks so cute when he’s trying to say things and he isn’t sure how I’ll take them.

“Early? Maybe, if you’re thinking of dawn.” I wave towards the sky.

He touches my face, smooths my hair away from my face. “I was thinking you looked tired. Maybe you’d like to come in for a little bit and lie down.”

“Mmm.” I lean my cheek into his hand. “That sounds nice.” And we go inside and mmm, Angel, and a bed and it’s so comfortable that I don’t even remember going to sleep.

* * *  
 _Angel_  
* * *  
It’s still night, barely; the sun hasn’t quite come up yet but the sound outside catches my attention. I slide out of the bed, making sure not to wake Buffy. She flings an arm across the mattress where I’d been laying and I smile as she roots deeper into the pillows. Then I hear it again and left the room, closing the door softly behind me.

I don’t know why I’m surprised to see Faith, standing in the great room, shoulders thrown back and mouth curled into a lazy smile. “Angel,” she all but drawls.

“Faith.” I’m more circumspect. She’s a Slayer, after all and that jacket of hers could hide a multitude of weapons.

“Aren’t you glad to see me?” She saunters closer, making sure I get an eyeful of jiggle.

“Actually, I am.” I fold my arms, leaning against the wall, effectively blocking her from my room. If Faith finds out Buffy is in there, well, I already know the fight’s spoiling. I just don’t particularly want it to happen here, now. “But I have to wonder why you’re here. Come to kiss and make up?”

“Aw,” Faith says, her smile growing, “didn’t know you’d do that, Angel.” She is close enough to touch now, her lips stained some impossibly shiny color, her eyes nearly as sparkling. “You being with B and all.”

“Faith,” I say, leaning towards her. I know my height doesn’t intimidate her. If we’d truly been fighting earlier, she could’ve dusted me. But she reacts to men, whether she realizes it or not, and I’ll play any card I can to get the upper hand. “You didn’t come here about Buffy.”

She laughs, a low, throaty chuckle and shakes her head. “Damn, Angel. You can read me good.”

“Sometimes, it isn’t that hard.”

Eyes sweep down my length, hesitating at my groin. Faith raises her gaze slowly back to meet mine. “I know something that could help that.” She reaches for the buttons of my pants.

I catch her hand. “We’re not going there, Faith.”

“You mean I’m not. What’s the matter, Angel? Afraid you might like it?” She steps closer, her breasts pressing against me. “I know what I felt, sitting on top of you.”

I shrug, keeping hold of her. “Told you to wiggle, didn’t I?”

Face reddening, she tries to jerk away and glares when I hold on that more tightly. “Let go, Angel.”

“Only if you promise to be good.”

“I can’t promise.” The seductive expression is back.

“Then you can go.” I whirl her around, half-pushing her towards the doorway. Faith sputters at this, trying to plant her feet but I move her outside into the garden before she has a real chance to react. I push her towards the fountain and she manages to keep upright, spinning around to face me.

“You don’t know what you’re turning down, Angel,” she snaps, tossing her hair back, all arrogance and spitfire.

I sigh. “Yeah, Faith, I do.” I meet her eyes, staring deep into them and say, very gently, “And I have a feeling you know what you’ve lost, too.”

Her face flushes again and I wonder if I’m about to be dust when her hand flies into her jacket, pulling out a stake. “You don’t even know what I’ve got now,” she sneers.

“Is it worth it, Faith?” I ask.

A smug smile settles on her face and she lolls back, the stake disappearing almost as quickly as it had appeared. “You have no idea.” Jerking her chin towards the mansion, she taunts, “Better get inside, Angel. Daybreak’s coming,” and just like that, she’s gone.

I’m almost tempted to follow her but she’s right, sunrise isn’t far away. I go back inside, wondering at her visit. Why here? Why now? I wonder if maybe she’s scouting around for information.

I make my way back to the bedroom, slipping under the afghan with Buffy. She rolls over and grabs hold of my shirt. I know I should wake her but she’s so cute when she’s sleeping. She completely relaxes and it’s amazing to watch. She’s squirming up against me, her nose buried against my arm. I know enough about women to know that she’s not going to be happy when she does wake up. Her hair’s a mess, all squashed to one side. I may have to offer to brush it out for her, like I used to brush Darla and Dru’s hair. It isn’t like we had servants to take care of how we looked.

Buffy’s stirring. I watch her wrinkle her nose and wriggle. Her eyes are opening.

“What?” she asks sleepily, “do I have funny bed hair or something?”

Faith can wait.

“Or something,” I tell her.

I love this girl.


End file.
